Swivel wrench



Aug. 19', 1924;

' 1,505,567 B. KELLEY SWIVEL WRENCH Filed July 6, 192;;

2 Sheets-Shoat 1 Aug. 19, 1924; 1,505,557

B. F. KELLEY SWIVEL WRENCH Filed July 1927i 2 Sheets-$1166! 2 PatentedAug. 19, 1924.

warren STATES BENJAMIN F. KELLEY,

SWIVEL AppIication filed Jul e,

To all whom 112? may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. KELLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Tulsa, in the county of Tulsa and State of Oklahoma, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Swivel lVren'ches, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to swivel wrenches, especially for use inconnection with the drilling of oil wells, artesian wells and the like,and the objects of the invention are first to provide a wrench soconstructed as to prevent the bit or other tool from accidentallyslipping out of its seat in the top bearing plate, and second to provideantifriction bearings for said plate. I accomplish my objects by themechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 isan assembly view in perspective illustrating the manner of use of swivelwrench embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, chiefly in axial section, showing thewrench with a bit seated therein. 7

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the under side of the top platewith its antifriction rollers.

Figure 4: is an end view looking towards the jaw opening of the wrench.

Figure 5 is a plan section on the line 55 Figure 41.

Figure 6 is a perspective View of a top plate showing the shoulderswhich prevent the bit from accidentally slipping out of position.

Like numerals denote like parts throughout the several views.

In Figure 1, I have illustrated the manner in which swivel wrenches areused. A. hand lever or fork 1 is suspended from a tackle 2 carried by asuitable support such as an overhead crane 3. The drilling bit 6 orother tool is in practice provided with a threaded pin 7 at the upperend adapted to screw into a socket in the stem or other part thatsupports it during the act of drilling. In order to screw and unscrewthe bit into and from the socket, it is, of course, necessary to rotateit and to provide means for supporting it.

The lever 1 is bifurcated at its forward end and is there provided withtrunnions 10 by which it is pivotally connected to an annular track 12.This track is open at one side for the insertion of the shankof the tastPATENT QFFICE.

or TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

WRENCH.

1922. Serial N 0. 573,165.

at its periphery and as the sides of the jaws areparallel and the plateis open at one side, said platepresents the general appearance ofa'horseshoe. It is countersunk in the top to forrn' a' recess or cavityin which the tool seats when in operation.- The bottom 18 of this cavityhas a curved wall 20 which in the present case is circular, thus makingtwo segmental depreciations'wherein the bit or other "tool seats. Theterminal portions 22 of these walls retain thebitand preventit fromaccidentally slipping out through the jaw opening. This characteristicwill be best understood by reference to Figures 5 and 6. If desired, inorder to avoid sharp corners,.the plate maybe slightlyybevelled at thejaw openings as indicated at 24 in the drawings. It will be evident thatthe terminal portions or ends 22 of the walls 20 will engage thecylindrical sides of the bit and; prevent the latter from coming out ofits seat unless the bit israised or the wrench lowered.

The plate has an annular channel 26 formed in the under side forcontaining and housing the anti friction rollers 28 which are adapted totravel upon track 12. Said rollers are rotatableiipon pins 30 whichextend into the sidewalls of the channel as best shown in Figure 2. i r

Bolted or otherwise secured to the underside of the top plate 16 is asegment, 32 which has an outside diameter slightly smaller than theinside diameter of track 12 so that said segment may rotate freely.Segment 32 is provided with a horizontal flange 34 which comes beneaththe track far enough to clear it and at the same time prevent the parts32 and 16 from rising relatively to the track. Segment 32 is providedwith arms or horns 36 of any appropriate design which furnish means bywhich the plates and the tool may be rotated.

In practice, the bit or other drilling tool is first inserted into thedevice by raising it sufficiently to slip it over the ends of the walls22 and enable it to seat upon the hot inserted and removed laterally,and a second.

toms 18 ofthe segmental cavities. After the bit isthusseated itvwillabe-retainedby said segment 32, carried by the bifurcatedlever 1.As a result of the presence of the rollers 28, the friction is reducedto a minimum and rotation may be effected with much less effort than ifthe top plate made plain surfacecontact with the .segment. i

The rollers themselves are, in this the preferred construction, socompletely housed within thefbear ing plate thatthey, are invisible from theside and are thoroughly protected against damage from collision byoutside tools or other things which might otherwise strike against them.Furthermore, the housing islquite eiifective in exeluding dust and gritfrom the bearing.

It will be noted that the rollers are not free to travel along thevchannel, but are held in place by the pins 30.

.Being thus prevented from moving relatively to the bearing plate,except to rotate about their axes, there is no possibility for therollers to escape at theopen ends of the channel. Thus the fact that thechannel is not continuous throughout an entire circle is immaterial andthe rollers maintain their proper places at all times.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: a

1. Aswiyel wrench for drilling tools having a bifurcated member adaptedto be supported from the rigging, a plate supported by said bifurcatedmember, said plate being non-rotatable ina horizontal plane relativelyto said bifurcated member, said plate having a central opening and alsoan opening in the open side of said bifurcated member for permitting thedrilling tool .to be plate rotatably supported upon the first plate, thesecond plate also having a central opening and having means for engagingthe squared portion of the drilling tool for rotating it and having anopening at the side for the lateral insertion and removal of thedrilling tool, the second plate also having cavities countersunk in theupper tool may be adm tted from the side.

surface on opposite sides of the central opening, said cavities beingconstructed toward the side opening of the plate.

2. In a swivel wrench, the combination of an approximately annularswivel wrench plate, open at one side for receiving the drilling tool,the plate having two countersunk cavities diametrically opposite to eachother wherein the tool may seat, said cavities. having walls convergingtoward the open side of the plate for retaining the drillingtool, andsupporting means for supporting said plate, said supporting means beingalso open at one side, whereby the drilling tool may be introduced intoor removed from the device from the side.

8. A swivel wrench plate provided with antifriction rollers in the underface thereof and having a tool receiving opening therethrough and acurved cavity in the upper face about said opening and a curved wallforming the boundary of said cavity and the terminals of said wallforming stop shoulders to prevent tools from slipping from said platewhile seated in said cavity.

4:- A swivel wrench of the class described having two superposed plates,open at the side for the entrance and exit of theshank of a drillingtool, the lower plate rotatably supporting the upper one, and havingmeans by which it may be supported from the rigging, the latter meansalso being open at the side whereby it will not interfere with theinsertion or removal of the drilling tool laterally into or from thedevice, the upper plate having recesses inthe upper surface wherein thedrilling tool may seat, said recesses being constricted toward the sideopening for preventing the drilling tool from accidentally slippingout.1

5. A swivel wrench for well drillingtools having two superposed,approximately annular plates, one of which is provided withanti-friction rollers for cooperating with the other plate and reducingfriction, said plates being. open at the side for admitting the shank ofa drilling tool laterally, the upper plate having recesses in the uppersurface wherein the drilling tool may seat, said recesses havingshoulders near the open side for retaining the drilling tool, and abifurcated supporting member wherein the lower plate is pivotallysupported so as to rock about a horizontal axis, the open side of thebifurcated member being toward the open side of the plates whereby thedrilling In witness whereof, I have hereunto'sub-

